Getting to Know You
by AuburnFan01
Summary: The missing "dates" between Stark and April during the month that skipped between 7x16 Not Responsible and 7x17 It's a Long Way Back. April/Stark
1. Think About It

**A/N: I feel that the April/Stark shippers were deprived of actual scenes between them that depicted them as the quirky couple everyone thinks they are. Personally, I think we should have seen the dates and because we didn't, this is idea on what might have happened their first date and beyond. I've attempted to have everything coincide with what happened on the show and this takes place after 7x16 "Not Responsible" and 7x17 "It's a Long Way Back," but some things might be different. I haven't decided yet for future chapters.**

**I'm thinking this is going to be four chapters long to chronicle the missing information in between the two episodes. I don't see it going any longer than that.**

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><p>April wasn't sure anything had surprised her more - besides finding her best friend dead in a pool of her own blood. But she couldn't help but stare at him because before her stood the snarky doctor who everyone hated because of his tactics and the way he dealt with patients. And he had asked her out. Dr. Stark had asked her, April Kepner, out because she had changed his mind. That part was weird, she would admit, but she only continued to stare as he told her things wouldn't be different and he wouldn't treat her weird should she decide to reject him.<p>

As soon as he told her to think about his invitation and walked away, she wasn't sure what had propelled her - maybe surprise or curiosity of the unknown - but she jumped around and stopped him. His eyes were a little surprised, too, perhaps even a little hopeful, when he waited for her to say something. Finally, she smiled and shrugged. "Are...Are you for real?"

"For real?"

It hadn't occurred to her that he might not be fluent in the current lingo everyone - particularly teenagers - used. She was about to explain the slang when he told her, "I don't know what other people your age mean when they ask someone on a date, but when I do it, it's...for real. There are no gimmicks no skirting around the issue, no will I/won't I deal. That was - what did you call it? - for real."

April thought this was the first time she had ever seen him smile; she wasn't sure what to do except smile back. "Oh. Oh-kay."

His smile faded and he stared at her; his eyes were still soft and she felt her chest tighten at the thought that he might throw an insult - or _something _- her way because right now she was certain that nothing would surprise her. After a few moments, he told her, "Just...Think about it, okay?"

"Okay."

With a nod, he turned and began to walk away, but didn't get far when he suddenly had a feeling that she was still staring at him. He had meant it to be simple: an invitation to dinner and then give her time to think about it. He didn't need her response now, but the way she stared at him, he had a sinking feeling that she was leaning toward rejection. He scowled instantly at the thought and knew that his scowl must have alarmed her because there was a fleeting fear in her eyes. "Good night, Dr. Kepner."

"Dr. Stark?"

He turned to face her again, trying to keep the agitation away from his voice. "Yes?"

"Okay."

"Okay...? As in...?"

"Yes," she said after a moment, smiling because it was all she could do not to chuckle. "Yes. I'll...I'll go out to dinner with you."

There was that smile again. "When do you not work?"

"Tomorrow night."

Stark nodded. "Tomorrow night then. 7 o'clock. There's this nice little restaurant down the corner from the hospital and we could go there, if you'd like."

"That's fine."

"Okay." He smiled. "I'll meet you there."

"Okay," she responded in her normal perky demeanor, keeping her sigh in until she knew he had gotten on the elevator and was away from her. She couldn't believe what had just happened. That he had asked her to dinner and she had said yes. _She _had said _yes_. April scowled slightly; she wasn't sure what to do next - because dating wasn't really her strong suit - but she knew she had to tell _someone_. She couldn't just keep this inside, not when it made the butterflies fly in her stomach like they would never come down again.

* * *

><p>Even though April hadn't been on many dates in her life - she had a grand total of two or three boyfriends and those relationships didn't last long - she was certain this would go down in her record books as the one she was the most nervous over. And she wasn't even sure why. The place he had selected wasn't fancy but a local diner, one that she could wear jeans to. Because he had offered the suggestion right before leaving for work, they had both showed up in jeans. Despite his almost awkward broach of the subject, which she knew would lessen over time - God, she was thinking about the future with him already? April disgustedly shook her head as she tried to get the thought out of her head; this was one date, <em>one <em>date.

It didn't mean anything.

So then why did her stomach fill with knots and sweet butterflies when she got out of the car and saw him from across the parking lot?

She caught a glimpse of him as he stared off into space, the way the sun reflected off his profile. For a moment she thought she wouldn't move because she knew that standing before her was not a surgeon who would talk down to her, but a man who would treat her as an equal. And she wasn't sure why, but she smiled when his head turned and he saw her, waving gently.

She walked toward him from across the parking lot and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets nervously as she approached him. He stared at her closely; a shiver ran down her spine, but she was certain that was because of the chilly air. It couldn't possible be because of the soft smile on his face as he caught sight of her. For a few moments she thought she would never speak, but she finally said, "Evening."

He continued to smile. "I have a first name, April."

Chuckling uncomfortably, she answered, "I know that."

His eyebrow raised in challenge and he chuckled - she hadn't even realized he was capable of laughter and the sound felt strange and foreign to her ears, but not completely unwelcome. It unnerved her, however, when coupled with the smile on his face - because he was actually a human being, a feat she never would have predicted from his behavior as Chief of Pediatrics. "Oh, yeah? What is it?"

She paused to think for a moment, wishing she had a photographic memory like Lexie. After a few moments - and watching the smirk on his face grow - she finally exclaimed, "Robert! Your first name is Robert."

He pursed his lips together in defeat and answered quietly, "Yes, it is."

April laughed - _Stark _could make her laugh? The realization stunned her. "See. I'm not as dumb as you think."

He scowled. "I never thought you were dumb."

"No?"

He shook his head before he stared her up and down, shoving his own hands in the pockets of his jacket. "No." Stark looked at the restaurant after a moment and turned back to her, asking, "Are...Are you hungry?"

"Starved."

He smiled when she chuckled - perhaps a little uncomfortable since this must be awkward for her, he was sure. Instead of continuing with that and thinking that she felt this was awkward because it was a date with _him_, he asked, "Really?"

"I haven't eaten anything since breakfast and that was twelve hours ago."

Stark scowled, surprised. "You didn't eat lunch?"

The concern in his voice shocked her; she never thought he had a considerate bone in his body - well, that was until he accepted her request not to call child services about Kyle Miller. But to hear it from him now, it stunned her almost as much as the soft smile she would see very so often, like the sun shining through from the dark clouds after a storm. "No, I didn't. I...I got called in to an emergency surgery right before I was about to eat and I didn't get a chance afterward, so I'm famished."

"Well, then let's not waste any time. You need to eat."

"Okay."

He gave her a soft smile and extended his arm toward her though he didn't touch her. "Well, come on, then. We don't want to head into the rush hour."

"It's seven."

"Exactly. Rush-hour's seven-thirty."

"You come here often?"

"Enough to know when their evening rush hour is, apparently," he answered with a smirk, waiting for her until she started to walk with him toward the restaurant. When he was certain she followed beside him, he shoved his hands back in his pockets again and asked, "How did that Rutger surgery go today?"

"The kid who came in impaled by his friend's bicycle?"

"That's the one."

April scowled at the memory, at his scared face when she had told him that everything was going to be all right - like he didn't believe her. "That went great. He's healing now and couldn't be happier because nurses are fawning over him and giving him anything and everything he wants."

Stark laughed. "Well, I'm glad everything went well. I heard from Dr. Robbins about the surgery. She...She begged for me to let her do it."

"Begged?"

"Well," he chuckled again as he held the door open for her, "not necessarily _begged_, but she really wanted to be on it."

"And you gave her her wish?"

"I couldn't do it," he answered with a shrug. "And...And Dr. Robbins is the only other doctor I would trust with a case like that one."

"Really?"

"Yes." Before he could hear her response, however, he approached the hostess. Within moments they were seated in a small corner, away from the hustle and bustle of the few people who actually were eating in the restaurant. Once they were seated, had ordered drinks and appetizers, he read the menu as he asked, "That surprises you?"

"What?"

"That I trust Dr. Robbins?"

"A little."

He chuckled. "Why?"

"Because..." She stopped suddenly and opened her mouth - nervous - when he stared up at her from his menu after moments of silence. He only stared at her, like he would stare at her from across a surgery, and waited patiently until she said, "Because you have two different styles."

"Ah."

It was her turn to scowl when he looked back down at his menu. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." He shook his head and glanced his menu up and down. "If you're a meat person, the steak here is excellent - so is the prime rib."

April took note of his change of conversation, deciding it was a mechanism he used whenever _he _felt uncomfortable or didn't want to discuss something. "What does 'Ah' mean?"

He laughed again. "Nothing, April."

She hadn't decided yet if she loved or hated it when he laughed; it was so infrequent in the professional world that hearing it now still surprised her. Hell, she was surprised he wore anything besides formal work attire or was a man who people addressed as "Robert," and not "Dr. Stark." After a few moments of staring at him, she asked, "Let's say I'm not a meat person."

"Vegetarian?"

"No, just not in the mood for meat tonight."

He nodded slowly. "Well, then you're on your own. Because I'm a meat guy and that's really all I order when I come here."

She smiled - God, he had her smiling a lot, and for no reason other than he was here, talking to her, and didn't seem annoyed. April shifted in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable with the possibility that might change - that he could be like all the others and hate her because she was annoying. Instead of saying anything - so paranoid now that everything would change - she turned to her menu and scanned it slowly. After a few moments, she looked up to find that he had set his menu down and was now staring at her carefully - like he was trying to see what was underneath her facial expression. It took her a few moments to realize she was frowning when she smiled suddenly and asked with an uncomfortable chuckle, "What?"

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Why would you ask that?" Was she that easily readable? Was that concern she had heard in his voice - over _her_?

"Because..." He stopped and then shook his head. "Never mind."

"Because what?"

"You just seem - I don't know - a little uncomfortable."

He looked down at his hands - away from her - and she had a strange sensation that she had done something to hurt him. He deserved the truth - or at least a portion of it - so she admitted softly, "I've never really done something like this before."

"Dated a co-worker?" He realized suddenly that was probably the reason for her discomfort, the label he had placed - as if natural - even though there were barely ten minutes into their first date. He smiled gently. "Well, we're not dating, really."

"We're on a date, aren't we?"

"Yes, but dating is not the same thing as one date," he answered. Didn't she know that? With her looks, he didn't guess that guys were fawning over her because it was so obvious - and he wasn't about to question why she had even agreed to dinner with him. It was better not to questions things like that in case he jinxed it.

She returned his smile and continued with his inaccurate assumption. "Yeah, I've never dated a co-worker. So...It's kinda weird."

"It doesn't have to be."

The hope in his voice stunned her so much that it was almost difficult to find her own voice. "I beg your pardon?"

"I won't favor you, April," he answered with a simple shrug. "Nor would I not favor you if tonight didn't go well. I told you, sexual harassment is not my style. That's unfair to you. Besides, I'm discreet. It's not like I'm going to shout it to the rooftops that you and I are on a date right now." He scoffed. "That's none of their business."

"Oh."

Stark hoped that was enough to calm her fears about tonight - because he wasn't her co-worker tonight. He wasn't Chief of Pediatrics and she wasn't a resident, and he was determined to prove that to her tonight, to prove that he could be more than cold-hearted wretch who didn't care about his patients. There was more beneath that icy exterior, and he hoped she knew that; he had a feeling she did, because she only smiled at him. And he couldn't help but smile back, nervous slightly, at what this night would bring.

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><p>April laughed softly as they walked from the restaurant, the last people to leave after an evening of pleasant conversation, a couple drinks, and a nice meal - which he had insisted on paying for. She supposed that made it a real date, if he paid and didn't allow her to even chip in for the tip. It was old-fashioned, but she had to admit that she liked it. It wasn't so bad, being treated like a woman he wanted to woo. Woo. She laughed to herself. Was she as old-fashioned as he was? She had to be, she figured, because otherwise she wouldn't be a twenty-eight year old virgin, extremely nervous about a date with a man with whom she worked. She looked at him from across the moonlight and smiled at the way his eyes shined. He really was full of surprises, the biggest of all being that he wasn't a robot, but a real human being who had real feelings.<p>

"Robert?" God, that was strange to say. It didn't exactly roll off her tongue, but she figured in time it would - and there she was talking about the future again.

"Yeah?" Stark glanced over at her and steered her toward her car, which wasn't far away in the empty parking lot; he wished it was, however, because he wanted to talk to her longer, to hear more about her. She had hooked him - somehow - when she told him that she had once slaughtered a pig. He had laughed in that moment and now he couldn't stop thinking about her and the thought brought a smile to his face. She really had been full of surprises, tonight, and it was refreshing, especially since she had been so invested in what he had to say about medicine. April had listened intently as he regaled her with stories of his first years of a resident, smiling at the memories. She loved listening to his stories as much as he loved telling her, and that was so refreshing. He supposed the children were right: sharing was caring.

She shoved her hands in her pockets.

He scowled immediately at her action, because it tore him away from his thoughts, and asked, "Are you cold?"

"Oh, no, my car is right over there." She didn't have a chance to rebut; within seconds he had removed his coat and threw it around her shoulders. April felt a blush creep up so she looked down at the ground - thankful for the shadow of the moon. "Thank you."

He only nodded in response and pointed to her car. "Is this you?"

She stopped to stare at him and shook her head, smirking at his smile. "No. That's Vivien Leigh. She comes here every Saturday to meet Clark Gable."

Stark snorted. "Good movie."

"You honestly think _Gone With the Wind _is a good movie?"

"Excellent," he answered with a proud smile. "All the classics are."

"You're a fan?"

"Of course." He shook his head. "You can't beat the classics, I don't care what anyone else says. Romance movies aren't what they used to be - well, I would assume so. I don't really watch your romance movies."

"Chick flicks aren't your thing?"

He snorted again and smiled when she laughed. "No. Chick flicks are definitely not my thing."

"Well, we'll have to watch one sometime, just so I can torture you." Was she flirting? She fought her scowl and forced a smile. April turned back to look at her car and told him, "I, uh, I really should be going. It's going to be a long day tomorrow...a long shift."

He nodded in understanding and offered, "Tomorrow's my day off."

"What are you doing?"

Stark shrugged. "Normal things like...I don't know. Normally I relax and do...something. It just depends on what I feel like doing, really."

April nodded. "Well, I really should..."

"Yeah," he agreed quietly with a smile. As he watched her turn to her driver's side, he asked, his voice betraying him as it reached a higher octave, "April?"

She turned. "Yeah?"

"Tonight was..." He paused and found his voice again. "Tonight was nice."

"It was," she agreed with a smile. She had loved the conversation and his company after she realized he wasn't a grouch like everyone thought. As she had told Lexie, there was a nice man under there and he had shown her that side of him tonight - a side she never thought could exist. And she suddenly wanted to know more, to see that part of him again, because it was so much better than the snarky surgeon who everyone hated.

He smiled. "Well...Good night. I'll see you at work then?"

"Yeah. Good night." She smiled and shook her head as she watched him turn around and walk toward his car. It wasn't until she had gotten in and started her own car that she saw him get in his - making sure she was safe before he left her. It wasn't until she pulled out and drove away - and he drove in the opposite direction - that she realized she was still wearing his jacket.

She moved sheepishly - though she was alone in her car - as she tilted her head gently, taking in the scent of his cologne, smiling suddenly. She could certainly get used to this, and was certain he wouldn't be getting this jacket back unless he specifically asked for it.

Tonight hadn't been bad, she decided. In fact, she found that she couldn't wait until she saw him again.


	2. Old School

"Dancing? You're taking me dancing?"

He looked up from the charts to stare at her surprised face; they were the only two at the nurse's station in the pediatrics wing right now, which was the only reason he had asked the question. He wouldn't verify their dates in front of a bunch of people and he certainly wouldn't do it if he knew someone was watching. "If that's all right."

April shrugged and opened her mouth as if she was about to say something before she shut it again. She knew he had caught her - caught this nervousness - because his stare grew more intense, as if he was trying to find the root of her fears. At first she didn't like the stare, it made her uncomfortable even more, but suddenly it was gone and his eyes were soft again, like they had been when he walked her to her car...like he would understand if she said she didn't want to go dancing. "I just...I've never been dancing before."

"Never?"

"Well, not as a date," she admitted sheepishly. "At weddings I'd dance with dad - you know, family daughter dances and things like that, but I've never gone dancing."

After a moment Stark stopped staring at her and turned back to his charts. "Well, I guess that's pretty old-fashioned of me."

"That's...That's not a bad thing, Dr. Stark."

Stark looked up slightly for a moment before he turned back to his charts. He hid his smile and asked hesitantly, "So...dancing?"

"All right."

"You don't sound very enthused," he commented dryly, still refusing to look up at her from his charts - perhaps afraid to see fear in her eyes or maybe a hint that she was going to shut him down. "Are you nervous?"

"Yes."

The brutal honesty surprised him. "Really?"

She nodded. "I told you, I've never been dancing before."

Stark suspected there was something more to it - something that she was neglecting to tell him - but in the off-chance that any question might scare her off, he simply nodded and accepted that answer. Finally, he flipped his charts shut - always the diligent worker when it came to patients; there was never time to waste - and he turned to face her, staring at her completely and seeing the nervousness in her eyes that emitted from her perky voice. He fought a scowl and told her, "You know, if it makes you uncomfortable, we don't have to go dancing. We...We can go out to dinner or do something different."

"Really?"

He nodded and snorted. "You think I want to make you uncomfortable? What kind of date is that?"

"Not a good one?"

"No, not a good one." The last he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable, especially on a date, especially since he had a good time on the first one and wanted to see her again - on much more than a professional level. He wanted to get to know her, not just jump into something without thinking about it; it made no sense to him to not think this through, to make sure he wanted to invest his time in a possible relationship with her. And how else would he know that if he didn't continue seeing her? Finally, he sighed softly. "Look, you pick what we do."

"I pick?"

"Yes."

She paused to think for a moment and then decided she wouldn't know if she liked something unless she tried it. "We can go dancing."

"Are you sure?"

She smiled at his concern. "Yes, I'm sure. We...We can go dancing."

Stark eyed her carefully before he smiled. "Good. You know, don't feel bad if you back out. It's not a big deal, really."

"No," she answered with a smile. After a moment, she grabbed her own chart and prepared to leave. She gave him one final smile as she told him cheerfully, "Besides, I have to give your jacket back, don't I?"

He smiled and shook his head when she left with a grin.

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><p>There were moments when he had a feeling that she didn't want to be seen with him around the other residents - not that he wanted to be seen by the other residents, anyway - because she insisted on meeting him at the dance place. And now he exited his car, surprised and pleased, to find that she was already waiting for him. For a moment he almost thought about doing a double-take but he knew the woman standing before him was April Kepner, and God, was she beautiful - not that she wasn't beautiful before - but now...She looked vastly different from the scrubs and lab coat he was used to.<p>

As he approached her, he found himself smiling like a giddy teenager out on his first date. "Hey."

April returned his smile, blushing slightly at the way he grinned. "Long time no see."

"Yeah." Stark hoped he hadn't heard that in his voice - the wistful tone which would indicate to her how much he loved her company, after only one date. She didn't seem to hear it, however, because her face didn't change from the soft smile. He only shoved his hands in his pockets and asked, "You ready to go in?"

"Just waiting on you."

"Sorry about that. Still getting used to the directions and streets around here."

April smiled. "Got a little lost?"

"Yeah."

With a nod, she turned toward the door, and was slightly surprised by his quick actions when he moved around her and opened the door for her. Her surprise was alarming to her; she knew it was customary on most dates for the guy to be a gentleman - and she assumed as much from their last date - it was just strange to her. No other guy had opened a door for her, not Alex or Jackson or anyone who wasn't related. But here he was, being the perfect gentleman as he held the door open and waited until she was safely inside to walk in himself. April couldn't help but smile as he joined her in a dark hallway that was empty except for a woman and a man, dressed in their own dance attire. She turned to him and found that she had to get close in order for him to hear her. "Is this like a...old-school dance place?"

"Old-school?" He wished she hadn't leaned in so close to him, her bare shoulder bumping up against his shoulder. The proximity mixed with her perfume was intoxicating, and he found it hard to breathe. Instead of sucking in a breath, he laughed gently. "What does that mean?"

"Um...Not like a club?"

He laughed. "No. This is definitely not like a club. At least, not like the ones you go to...or people your age go to. Um..."

His pause forced her to look at him. "What?"

He fidgeted slightly before he asked hesitantly, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-eight."

Stark nodded slowly. "So then...most likely clubs that you would go to."

"If I was a person who liked to go from club to club to club."

"You're not?"

April shook her head. "No. If I drink or party - which I rarely ever party - it's a bar with friends. Clubs...Clubs are not my thing."

"I think you'd fit right in."

"Thank you...?"

"No, no," he found himself backtracking quickly, feeling he had insulted her somehow despite the small grin on her face. "I didn't mean it in a bad way. I'm...I'm not really sure how I meant it, I just...I..."

April's grin grew when she saw him grow flustered. She only shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I get it."

"Really?"

"No, but we can drop it."

Stark smiled, finally, the nervousness gone. "All right. You ready to head in?"

April took in a breath for confidence before she nodded. Soon, they found themselves amidst throngs of people - none of which were her age, she quickly realized - but it didn't make any difference. Everyone was either dancing or sitting down to the tables which lined the sides eating dinner. Before they could get too far, however, she grabbed hold of his arm to stop him from walking away. And she was close to him again, and she could smell his soft cologne and suddenly it became so hard to even think, but she managed to sputter out, "I already ate."

"Did you?"

She barely nodded. "I'm sorry."

"No. No, don't be." He gently patted her hand but immediately pulled away when he felt the heat of her skin; best not to create too much physical contact just yet, he decided. They'd have plenty of time for that on the dance floor - that was, if she got the nerve to actually step onto the dance floor. Not that he would mind either way, of course. Just being with her tonight, seeing her dressed like she had stepped out of a magazine photo shoot in her form-fitting black dress, made it all worth it. After all, he had learned with her that it was her company - not what they did - that made the difference to him. He felt like a kid again, where butterflies would soar in his stomach whenever he took sight of her...because she was simply that beautiful.

The way he quickly turned away worried her, but she decided not to dwell on it. "I am a little thirsty though."

"Well come on." Stark let her step in front of him. "Let's go over to the bar."

She could faintly feel his hand on the small of her back as he walked beside her toward the bar. Within moments they both had ordered drinks and slit into a two-person table which was away from the havoc of the dance floor and the music, a place where they could have private conversations but still hear others around them. Stark didn't mind it, actually, the privacy in public. He actually hoped it would loosen her up a bit, especially that nervousness he saw in her eyes which troubled him most of all. He felt the need to make conversation as he asked, "So you've really never been dancing before?"

"Never."

Stark took note of how she quickly took a sip of her drink. "Do you want to give it a shot?"

April peered over the dance floor. "What dance are they doing now?"

He had to look past a few people before he smiled with a small laugh. "That right there is the jitterbug."

"The jitterbug?"

"Yeah," he answered with a smile. "You ever do the jitterbug?"

"No." She smiled when he laughed; as strange as it was, she liked the sound, liked to see that there was an actual decent man underneath the cold surgeon who she had operated with this morning...who actually hadn't been so cold to her recently, and she figured it was best not to test that luck. "What's so funny?"

"My first jitterbug was at my aunt's wedding. My mom pulled me out to the dance floor - and mind you I've never done the jitterbug before - and we danced and I was awesome."

"I'm sure you expect nothing less from yourself."

He smiled. "No. And ever since then I've perfected my moves and now I'm actually pretty decent at it. You want to give it a shot or no?"

She eyed the dance floor again before she agreed, "All right. We can...We can jitterbug."

Stark extended his hand to her, smiling when she took it - when the butterflies fluttered at the slight contact which he was certain was platonic. Pulling her to her feet, he placed his hand on the small of her back again as he led her through the wave of people. He found he had to lean in close to her, as she had done with him, so he could tell her, "I won't hurt you, April, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

He shook his head. "That's a promise I'll keep, April. You can count on that." He gently twirled her around as they hit the dance floor. Giving her a soft smile, he said, "All right, let's dance."

"I can't promise I'll be a quick study."

"That's all right. I'm an excellent teacher."

An hour - and a few hilarious and embarrassing dances - later, April found he had brought her out to the dance floor one final time. The dance was slow, making her wish she had gone to more dances during high school - not that high schoolers knew how to slow dance, either, but the practice sure would have helped. He had proved to be everything he promised and more, being an excellent teacher as he pulled her close. His cologne was still strong, and she loved the smell as she gently rested her head against his shoulder, his hand tender on her the small of her back. The music was soft, sweet, and she had to admit to herself that she liked this...liked the security and sense of peacefulness that she felt whenever she was around him; she loved this gentle side, mostly because she was the only one at the hospital who knew it existed - like she knew was the only one who had the privilege of knowing this secret about him. But the silence was strangling, so much that she asked, "How am I doing?"

Her breath was warm against his neck, so overwhelming that he pulled away slightly so he could see her face. "You're doing perfect."

She laughed slightly with a blush. "You're just saying that."

"No, really. For your first time, you're doing awesome."

"Awesome?"

"Yeah, awesome." It was his turn to chuckle. "I can't say awesome?"

"It's just weird."

"Oh, because I'm some cold, heartless robot?"

"Yeah." She smiled when he scowled and twirled her around once. "But...a cold, heartless robot wouldn't do something like that, would he?"

"I'm not a cold, heartless robot with you."

"When we aren't working at least."

"Exactly." He paused. "Hey, did I tell you how amazing you look tonight?"

"I think you just did."

Stark knew by the slight blush in her cheeks that she wasn't used to being complimented, which made him want to spend the rest of his time complimenting her and telling her how beautiful she was because not only did she deserve it, but it was true. Her beauty was almost overwhelming, a little nerve-racking even, to think that she had agreed to go on a date with him when she could have her own pick of any guy around. It was clear to him that he wasn't the only one who brought his own set of insecurities to the table. He sighed softly as the song ended and she pulled away. "You ready to go?"

"Early day tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah?"

"For you," she told him. "Not me. I'm not working tomorrow."

To think he wouldn't be able to catch her from a distance was a little upsetting, but he forced a smile. "Well, lucky you, then. Want to rub that in my face?"

"No. I think waking up early tomorrow will be enough."

He smiled before he shook his head. The progression of events after that was a blur to him, but he was vaguely aware that they had somehow ended up in front of her car and she was in the process of pulling out his jacket from the backseat. It was difficult not to check her out - and after all, he was a guy - so he stole a quick glance, happy, he looked away just in time when she turned to face him. Stark smiled and accepted his jacket. "Hope it suited you well in this weather."

"Thank you."

"Did...Did you have a good time tonight?"

Was that nervousness she heard in his voice? April thought she was the only one capable of that. "I had a great time, really. Sorry about earlier though...Stepping on your toes...I really didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it," he cut her off with a wave. "It's part of the hazards of dancing for the first time."

"Well, I'm still sorry."

"Please don't be. You'll just end up making me feel bad, you know."

"And we can't have that, can we?"

"No, we can't."

"I had fun tonight."

Stark smiled. "Good. I'm...I'm glad. Did I do all right teaching you?"

"Perfect. You know, awesome actually."

"Shut up."

She smiled at the playful tone in his voice and was surprised slightly - though not uncomfortable - when he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss her on her cheek. It was a peck, really, but she fought a blush when she heard him bid her good night and walk over to his car. It was sweet - perhaps even a bit platonic - but she couldn't help but smile as she got in her own car, watching him walk over to his car in the darkness of the night. April smiled again and shook her head. She was certain she'd spend the rest of the night with this silly grin on her face, and gave him a small wave as she pulled away. Stark simply waved back and followed her out of the parking lot. She hadn't expected him to kiss her cheek, and the memory of the feeling still sent chills down her spine. God, what was he doing to her? She didn't care, however, so long as she didn't stop smiling - which she realized was common around him. He had this quirky ability to make her smile at the stupidest things, at things she shouldn't smile at, and she loved it. She had loved this entire evening and nothing - not even comments from Alex - would bring her down.


	3. A Lunch Date

"Hey."

He looked up from the chart, surprised to find her beside him, perky. "Oh, hey."

April only bounced on her heels. "How did this morning go?"

"What?" He smirked. "You mean waking up early?"

"Yeah. That."

"Oh, that was fantastic," he answered with a snort before he turned to her, smiling slightly - because he rarely ever smiled at work. There was no reason others needed to see that he actually had a soul. "And I'm assuming you enjoyed sleeping in and not having to come into work until now?"

"Loved it." She paused and stared down at the mountain of charts before him. "Do you want me to take some of those?"

"Oh, no." Stark looked down at them. "I've...I've got them covered."

"You sure?"

"Oh, yeah. Nothing better than doing post-op charts."

April nodded before she stared down at the charts again, feeling the need to help him because that pile...If she didn't take some from him, he'd be spending the entire night here past his required shift. "Well, you know, I'm on your rotation until you get off, so...I can take some of those."

"I've got them."

April would have expected a harsh tone - one she would normally hear him use with other residents - but she smiled gently when his tone was soft; he wasn't attacking, but simply stating a fact. But she wouldn't back down that easily - and that's what he liked about her, wasn't it? She only shook her head in protest. "You need to let me do some of them. What else am I going to do?"

"Other doctor things."

"Alex took care of that already before he left."

Stark scowled.

"You don't like him, do you?"

"What was your first clue?"

April chuckled but felt the need to defend her friend. "He's not too bad, and he's a really good doctor. He just...He's a little rough around the edges sometimes. A lot like you."

"I was _never _that bad as a resident."

"You haven't given him a chance."

"And I won't." Stark could see her about to rebut so he grabbed a few of the charts in front of him and handed them to her, ignoring her triumphant grin because he knew soon he'd be smiling bad. "He's learning fine on Dr. Robbins' services. There's no reason he needs to be on mine."

"All right." She flipped through a few of the charts, staring around the nurse's station. There wasn't enough room for them both to work here. "I'll...I'll just go use the conference room, I suppose."

Stark took note of their predicament and - not wanting her to leave - offered, "Why don't we work in my office? We can both get the charts done and...And you can give me all the post-op reports from the patients you just visited. We won't have anyone to run into."

"Okay. Sounds great."

He smiled, thankful she had agreed. "Okay."

Minutes later she found herself in his office - a place she had never really entered before where it was just the two of them. Not that she minded. The silence and solitude of the place offered her more privacy than anywhere else in the hospital; were she to remain standing at the nurse's station, she was certain none of these charts would get completed on time. But his office...It was quiet - which seemed to match his professional persona perfectly - and she loved it, especially the way he relaxed as he sat down to work beside her.

April chuckled softly.

He looked up from the chart, staring at her from above his reading glasses. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing."

Scowling, he asked, "I doubt that."

"It's just that...Well...You're so relaxed here and it's not normal from what I'm used to seeing."

"I'd say I was pretty relaxed the other night."

She was a little unnerved that his gaze had not left her - and suddenly she felt like she had wronged him, though his voice held no anger or frustration. It was simply a comment, like she was simply a woman and he was simply a man and they were simply working together and nothing made it omplicated at all. "I didn't mean that...I just...I'm sorry."

He scowled again. "What are you apologizing for? Last night was great."

"Really?"

"You didn't think so?"

April wasn't sure if that was fear she detected in his voice, but she could see it in his eyes - the nervousness which matched the feeling burrowed in her heart. It almost made her smile, and she did when he fidgeted slightly in his chair and completely abandoned his charts to stare at her. "No...No. Last night.." She chuckled softly. "Last night was amazing, I just..."

"What?"

"You really were relaxed the other night."

"Yeah, I was. I like dancing." And he loved dancing with her - especially when she made mistakes because he could smile at her gently then teach her the proper way. Teaching her how to dance, showing her something that he loved and sharing those moments with her, there was nothing more relaxing than that. "Were you?"

"Yeah." Even his kiss goodnight hadn't made her uncomfortable - which indicated to her that she was extremely comfortable around him. He didn't pressure her, didn't push, and let her make a lot of the decisions even if she didn't think she was making half of them. April was certain she had never felt at ease with any other man before. And she loved it - especially the way he eyes softened in happiness when she admitted she was relaxed with him the other night.

"Good."

"So...Is this considered a date?"

Stark thought for a moment before he looked at his watch. "If we order up lunch, it could be." He smiled. "You want to?"

"Yeah. I'd like that."

"Okay."

Minutes later they both were eating as well as working on the charts and April couldn't help but laugh at him. "You're, uh, you're not that great of a multi-tasker, are you?"

He looked up at her. "What makes you say that?"

"Looks like you're having some trouble eating and working."

"What makes you say that?"

She smiled when he grinned and shook her head. They were both almost done eating now, and all they had left to complete was the post-op charts. Not only had he proven to be a terrible multi-tasker, but she was to. During their lunch date, neither of them had seemed able to work - they were too focused on each other and their conversation. April decided that listening to him talk about classic movies and television shows was more interesting than who was screwing who - which was common at the lunch table she normally sat at.

"Robert?"

"Yeah?" He closed the styrofoam box and shoved it aside before he turned back to his charts.

"We should do this again sometime."

Stark smiled at her suggestion. "Yeah, we should. Want to go out to dinner in a couple nights?"

"A couple nights?"

"I have the night shift for the next few days and we can't very well have dinner for breakfast."

"Well, we could."

He smiled. "And have breakfast for dinner?"

"That's the way to be." April smiled when he laughed. "So, dinner?"

"Yes. 7 o'clock sound good?"

She smiled brightly. "Seven is perfect."


	4. Friends

**A/N: This chapter bothers me. I'm not happy with it, but I can't think of any way to change it. The italics are exact lines from the show. It's mostly my take on their thoughts leading up to what would have been their date. **

After Karev walked away, Stark thought his day would only get worse. He should have known never to say that - however - because as soon as the door opened and he glanced up at the intruder, he smiled. There she was. And she was more perky and beautiful than ever. Immediately his heart warmed, much like it had when he twirled her around the dance floor, and he felt his entire demeanor shift, especially when she smiled at him with more optimism than he had ever known.

_"Just finished recasting the O'Connor girl. Did you still need me to change Jason Cook's drain?_"

Normally her optimism and perky demeanor would have bothered him but now - after getting to know her and being around her - it was one of her many traits that he found most endearing. "_Nope, all done. So you can handle the rest of the patients right?"_

_"Really?" _She was surprised; he had never given her complete control of all the patients before.

"_Yeah." _Was that his voice betraying him? It had gone soft - exactly how he felt whenever he was near her. There was nothing, he realized, that he could deny her, not now, not when it meant he could spend even more time with her. And if that meant giving her complete control - which she rightfully deserved because he had faith that she could handle it - than that's what he was going to do. The smile on her face warmed his cold heart, too. Seeing her smile, and knowing he had brought it there, it made this entire day all right - it made dealing with Alex Karev something he'd be willing to do.

_"Thank you!" _Was this really happening? She wasn't sure anyone would trust her enough, but here he was, putting all his faith in her. He actually believed she could do it, and she was certain it was because of their dates, of the she he had the opportunity to get to know the past couple weeks.

He felt the need to double-check that they were still on for dinner tonight, especially since he hadn't seen much of her the past few days. That, and he didn't want her to walk away from him just yet._"We're on for tonight? 7 o'clock reservations?"_

_"Oh, you know it."_

_"All right."_ He walked away from her with a smile; that was music to his ears. Stark was certain he could survive dealing with Alex Karev today, as long as he could see April, too. After all, she was a better doctor than Karev. He knew she could handle it - she could handle anything.

April only smiled as he walked away. His trust in her gave her a confidence unlike anything she had ever experienced. She was excited, too, for dinner tonight. Tonight was turning out to be a great day, she thought to herself with a smirk.

_"You're going to screw your way to the top. I'm impressed._"

And then it came crashing down. Is that really what he thought? That they were sleeping together? _"I am not screwing Stark."_

_"I am not screwing Stark," _he mocked like a child.

"_We aren't even dating!" _His mock only spurred her anger. What right did he have to come here and assume something that wasn't happening? And to insult her by mocking the truth? She didn't want any part of this - she just wanted to run away, as far as she could.

_"We aren't even dating_," he mocked again.

She had enough. "_I'm serious, we're not." _And suddenly the words came out that she knew would get him to back off - even though they weren't at all true, _"Maybe I thought we were at first, but it's not like that." _She remembered their lunch date a few days ago and added,_ "We're just...hanging out. Friends." _The words sounded like poison to her ears.

_"Yeah. Naked friends."_

April scowled at the thought as he walked away; if she was honest with herself, she'd admit that the thought of sleeping with Stark wasn't necessarily unappealing, it's just she hadn't thought about it before. He had been so gentle and kind and had taken things slow the past couple of dates that sleeping together...? That seemed like a world away. He hadn't pushed anything, and they were taking things slow. That was what it was. It had nothing to do with her insecurities and fears about the first time. Nothing.

April repeated that mantra to herself the rest of the day - because she couldn't let Alex Karev get to her, not when she had a date to look forward to tonight.

* * *

><p>Stark was almost done with a consult when his pager went off. As subtle as possible, he turned to look at it and saw that it was April. Panic hit him for a moment before he remembered she'd come in and get him should one of his patients flatline. It mustn't be something too important, but the need to find out what was on her mind was eating away at him. He couldn't focus the rest of the consult - somehow the right words spilled out. Stark was thankful when the consult had ended, and he got out of there as quickly as possible.<p>

He found her, not even moments later, working on a few charts. "_Hey. You paged._"

She turned around and he could immediately see she was flustered. "_Yeah, um, I don't think I'm going to be able to make it to dinner by seven. These post-ops are taking me longer than I thought_."

Like that, the music stopped. "_All right, skip dinner."_

He scowled in thought before it suddenly hit him - something where he could be close to her in a private setting, and one that didn't have any specific time restraint. It was now or never, he decided. If he didn't get up the courage to invite her to his place now, he figured he never would. And what better opportunity? He was certain she would say yes as he offered, _"Hey, you know, From Here to Eternity is on cable. We could just...grab dinner at my place."_

April didn't mind the thought of that. It was a fantastic movie, and they could still have dinner together, but as soon as she saw the proud smirk on Alex's face from across the distance, a wave of anxiety hit her hard. She didn't want that to keep her down, however, so she agreed with a shaky voice that matched the unsure emotions she was feeling, _"Okay. Sounds fun._"

Her tone bothered him, but he smiled softly at her agreement. Though she hadn't looked at him while she had said that - and he was afraid to find out what had caught her attention - she had agreed. That was enough to make him happy.

_"Um, I still don't know what time I'll finish."_

He didn't like the sound of that - and true to his promise - he did what he never thought he'd ever do...just so he could see her again. The words stung at him, but they were necessary. He almost hated himself for it if he didn't remind himself that it meant he could see her tonight - on a more personal level. _"Karev? Could you help Dr. Kepner with her patients?"_

_"Now you need my help?"_

No, now he had to do everything in his power not to strangle the younger surgeon. Instead of having a burst of anger, he warned, _"Don't push me, dude."_

April turned back to her charts and handed some of them to Alex, who had walked over after Stark requested he help her. She smiled to think they would still have their date and told him, _"Okay so if you take these, I can do the rest." _She frowned when he laughed; she was not in the mood for _this, _for his antics and what he thought about her dates with Stark. "_What?"_

He shrugged. _"The only way you'll be watching that movie is if it's playing on his bedroom ceiling."_

She frowned again as he walked away from her. Where did he get off assuming she was going to have sex tonight? The thought scared her - she would admit - to have sex tonight but it certainly didn't help for him to make fun of her for it. What right did he have, in any of this, to judge their relationship? None, she decided.

But God, she couldn't get the words out of her head.

* * *

><p>April had actually been surprised that Alex had stuck by her side the entire day; as soon as Stark left, she had excepted him to bolt, too, and find something else to do that didn't so closely resemble the presence of Stark. At first she had thought it was because he wanted to tease her more about her dinner date - and each tease bothered her deeply - and though, she hadn't proved mistaken because he actually had teased her, Alex had actually stepped up as a surgeon and done his work. When it came to little kids, it seemed, he could have a softer side - and regardless of his own personal circumstances, he actually took care of them. Nevertheless, his comments irked her, especially now with the glances he would give her like he knew what was going to happen. He had no idea, she decided, and instead of letting him bother her now when she was supposed to be working on work, she turned to Stark and told him, "<em>The Rodriguez boy had an incarcerted incisional hernia, but with conscious sedation we were able to reduce it."<em>

He nodded, happy with the news. _"All while I was in surgery. I am impressed."_

"_Well, Dr. Karev did most of it, actually."_

_"Oh, Dr. Karev?" _He didn't like the sound of that. "_Okay, well that's good to know. I'll make sure it was done right."_

"_Robert, just say thank you."_

Stark watched as Alex looked at April, confused, and April met his glance as if she surprised herself by saying that. Choosing to ignore it, however, he did as she asked and said, _"Thank you, Dr. Karev. Now go away."_

What the hell was wrong with her? Had she seriously just done that - just brought their personal lives into the professional arena? God, now Alex would really be on her back for that. All she'd hear would be endless comments and teases about how she referred to him by first name - which must mean that they were sleeping together in his world. She felt the need to apologize for her indiscretion, to backtrack to a point where they were doctors in the workplace. "_Oh, my God! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to call you that!"_

He waved her off. _"There's no need to apologize, Dr. Kepner."_

"_No, no, no. It was completely unprofessional. I promise, I will never-"_

Stark had enough of this. "_Hey, April." _He was happy when she stopped and stared at him, his use of her first name surprising her. Like with earlier, he decided it was now or never. Time to put all the cards on the table. _"I'm saying I liked it." _A feeling of dread filled him as she opened her mouth to say something, then looked down at her charts. Maybe he had made a mistake and being so forward with her. But he couldn't judge her so quickly - the dread would swallow him whole if he did.

Suddenly Alex's comments swam in her head, like a little voice on her shoulder, and she couldn't block them out. Naked friends and bedroom ceilings and taking her pants off...Fear spilled through her so swiftly and powerfully that she told him, without even thinking, "_I, uh, I can't make it tonight."_

_"To...?" _Stark realized suddenly what she meant and frowned._ "What?"_

April looked away from him as she came up with some fabrication - that wasn't completely a lie, but enough for right now - because she couldn't bear whatever it was she saw in his eyes. _"The, uh, the new chief resident is getting picked soon and everyone is stepping up their game, so...I should probably just stay here...work. I'm sorry." _She placed the look in his eyes finally; she had ripped his heart from his chest. and he didn't seem surprised, either - almost like he had expected this to happen at some point.

Her words had stung at him but he couldn't lash out at her like he wanted to; he cared about her too much to hurt her like that. Finally, he looked at her, which in itself was the most difficult thing he could do today. "_I understand. You know, we've got the age difference, we work together...Not to mention, you are very beautiful."_

He thought that about her? She wasn't sure anyone had told her that before - and meant it the way he did when he stared at her so openly and honestly that she had to look away from him to process his compliment and catch her breath again.

"_But still, you know," _He shook his head at the realization of what she had done - and why._ "I'd hoped you wouldn't feel the need to use work as an excuse to get out of spending time with me."_

_"No, no, no, no. I wasn't_..." She frowned when he shook his head and looked up at her, like he was bracing himself for this. "_I enjoy spending time with you so much." _The way he nodded told her that he didn't wholly believe the truth that she was telling him. And here she went again, remembered Alex's comments and Cristina's and Meredith's and the fact that she couldn't get them out of her head. It hit her that she could lose her virginity when she wasn't ready for that, and if she wasn't ready for that than she must not be attracted to him, right? The words came out quickly as she told him, _"I just...I guess I just think of you more as a friend. Friends. I mean, we're friends."_

He nodded slowly at her words, wondering how he could be so stupid to think that there could ever be anything more. He should have seen it coming - and he had earlier, when she had looked away from at the mention of a movie at his place - he just didn't want to admit it. And if she was being so honest with him, then he could be so honest with her, too. "_Yeah, well...But that's the thing, you know, I never wanted to be just your friend."_

April wanted to tell him that she wanted that to, that there was nothing more that she enjoyed than his company, and that this was all because of everyone else..that she didn't want to have sex tonight. But she couldn't tell him that, she couldn't admit her virginity, because he might laugh at her like everyone else had.

Stark shrugged, hoping she would think he was all right - because he really wasn't. _"Good night, Dr. Kepner." _

As he walked away, he shook his head and thought for a moment, wondering where the hell he had gone wrong to bring them here - to the point where she felt the need to back out because of what others thought, or perhaps because of something he had said or done. He wasn't sure he had something wrong. Maybe taking things slow had given her the wrong impression - that he didn't want anything to do with her. But he wanted to see her, to be with her...He thought he had just made that clear. And, for some reason, she had blanched and shot him down. Stark couldn't figure out why - and he didn't have the strength to as he walked out of the pediatrics wing away from her.

One thing he knew for sure: he wished he would have kissed her that moment after dancing. And not just that peck on the cheek, but _really _kissed her. If he had done that, maybe now he wouldn't be filled with so much regret - so much humiliation because, damn it, the entire hospital knew they had gone on a few dates and soon the entire hospital would know she had rejected him.

He had never been a man to feel such rejection and humiliation at the same time; he wasn't angered by it, but frustrated. Because now he knew he'd have to build his walls back up - and he wouldn't let anyone affect him exactly the way she had. It would be difficult, but he had to wipe the memories away; he had to forget the fun he had and the way he felt about her, because it was all he could do to stop the pain from eating away at his heart.


End file.
